Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to suspensions for disk drives, and more particularly to relates to improvements in the manufacture thereof, specifically in obtaining readily both faster and more accurate pitch static attitude adjustment in the course of manufacture. In an important aspect the invention provides optimally static attitude adjusted suspensions having a reduced stiffness to enable more precise compliance of the suspension with an opposing disk surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Adjustment of the pitch static attitude of disk drive suspensions through the use of opposed clamps attached to lateral extensions on the suspension metal member is known, but such techniques have added mass and unwanted stiffness to the suspensions.
It is an object of the invention, therefore, to achieve pitch static attitude adjustment of a suspension that brings the suspension flexure tongue into parallel position with an opposing disk surface through relative bending or twisting of the suspension flexure metal layer by integral lateral tabs while avoiding suspension stiffness increase normally accompanying the presence of such adjustment tabs. It is a further object to provide a suspension and a manufacturing adjustment method that has a facile adjustment of pitch static attitude and that, by locally reducing the mass of the tabs, avoids adding stiffness to the suspension.
These and other objects of the invention to become apparent hereinafter are realized in the invention low stiffness pitch adjustable suspension comprising a flexure and a flexure support, the flexure comprising a flexible circuit assembly of trace conductors, an insulative film and a metal support member for the assembly insulated from the trace conductors by the insulative film, the metal support member having a proximate end and a distal end, the distal end having a configuration determining the pitch attitude of the suspension, the distal end defining opposed left and right laterally projecting tab continuations of the distal end having proximate and distal portions, the tab continuation proximate and distal portions being relatively adjustable to vary the distal end configuration in suspension pitch attitude adjusting relation, the tab continuations tending to stiffen the suspension, each the tab continuation being disposed within a generally rectangular perimeter, and each the tab continuation having within its the perimeter a local reduction in mass in suspension stiffness reducing relation.
In a further embodiment the invention provides a low stiffness pitch adjustable suspension comprising a flexure and a flexure support, the flexure comprising a flexible circuit assembly of trace conductors, an insulative film and a spring metal support member for the assembly insulated from the trace conductors by the insulative film, the metal support member having a proximate end and a distal end, the distal end having a configuration determining the pitch attitude of the suspension, the distal end defining opposed left and right laterally projecting tab continuations of the distal end having longitudinally separated proximate and distal portions, the tab continuation proximate and distal portions being separately adjustable to vary the distal end configuration in suspension pitch attitude adjusting relation, the tab continuations tending to stiffen the suspension, each the tab continuation being disposed within a generally rectangular perimeter, and each the tab continuation having within its the perimeter a local reduction in mass in suspension stiffness reducing relation, the localized mass reduction defining and separating the longitudinally separated proximate and distal portions.
In these and like embodiments, typically, each tab continuation is formed of the same web of metal as the metal support member, the suspension further comprises a load beam supporting the flexure metal support member, the flexure metal support member distal end comprises a frame having longitudinally extended left and right outriggers joined by a cross member and having a tongue cantilevered from the cross member, the outriggers defining the left and right tab continuations respectively, the suspension being adjusted to bring the tongue to a position to be substantially parallel to a disk drive suspension disk, the insulative film is a polyimide film, the trace conductors a copper metal, and the metal support member and load beam each a spring stainless steel, the tab continuation proximate portions define clamping areas for stationary clamps, and the tab continuation distal portions define clamping areas for movable clamps, whereby the tab continuation distal portions when clamped are shiftable relative to the tab continuation proximate portions to vary the metal support member distal end configuration and the suspension pitch attitude thereby, the tab continuations are locally mass reduced in region between their the proximate and distal portions, the tab continuations are e.g. locally surface-relieved or locally through-relieved in the region, thereby to reduce the tab continuation mass, and the tab continuation distal and proximate portions comprise separated fingers projecting laterally from the metal support member, adjacent fingers being defined and separated by a localized through relief in the tab continuation.
In its method aspects, the invention provides the method of adjusting the pitch static attitude of a disk drive suspension having a flexure comprising a frame with left and right longitudinally extending outriggers, a cross member connecting distal portions of the outriggers and a tongue carried in cantilevered relation from the cross member so as to be parallel with an opposing disk surface when the suspension pitch static attitude is properly adjusted, the method including defining first and second lateral tab continuations of the outriggers each having spaced, longitudinally adjacent distal and proximate portions, locally reducing the mass of the tab continuations to lower the stiffness of the suspension, fixing the proximate portions of the tab continuations at laterally opposed first locations, gripping the distal portions of the tab continuations at laterally opposed second locations, deflecting and bending the flexure between the first and second locations by the gripped distal portions against the restraining force of the fixed proximate portions to bring the pitch attitude of the suspension to a value at which the tongue will be parallel to a the disk surface, and more particularly locally reducing the mass of the tab continuations between the proximate and distal portions, locating the proximate portion rearwardly of the cross member, locating the distal portion forwardly of the cross member, and defining a gap between the proximate and distal portions in suspension stiffness reducing relation, and also supporting the flexure with a load beam.